Spicy Bean Dip

Spicy Bean Dip
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Old El Paso Taco Sauce (I used hot, you can use whatever you want)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp ground cumin

* In a saucepan combine all ingredients except cheese
* Stir until mixture is smooth (about 5 minutes)
* Remove from pan and immediately put cheese on top so it will melt.

Corn Quesadillas

If you read my blog you know that we love mexican food. So when I saw this on a menu at a restaurant I knew it was something I wanted to try to duplicate at home.

It really couldn't be simplier and its really tasty. Its nice to have a veggie option that my husband will eat. I think the sweetness of the corn and the creaminess of the cheese really made this something I would make again.

I love new twists on old favorites.

Ingredients
1 large flour tortilla

kernel corn off the cob
1 handful of cilantro

diced tomatoes

black beans

diced red peppers

diced jalepenos

diced onions

monterey jack cheese

butter

1. butter one side of a tortilla and place in a non stick pan over medium heat

2. add cheese and allow to melt a bit
3. Add corn, cilantro, red peppers, jalepenos, and onions.

4. fold over and serve with black bean salsa

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

I've been seeing a BBQ quesadillas all over the place. I thought since I was making quesadillas, I'd try it with half the chicken. It turned out really good. However, my husband said it wasn't very Mexican but it was still good. Whatever, I thought it was good. lol.



Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup bbq sauce
2 cups monterey jack or cheddar cheese
4 tortillas
1 pat of butter

1. Season the chicken breast with half the bbq sauce
2. Grill chicken until cooked
3. Cut into pieces and add the rest of the bbq sauce
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of butter until melted.
5. Add tortilla and sprinkle with cheese
6. Layer the chicken on top
7. When the chicken melts fold over and remove from heat.
8. Repeat until ingredients are gone
9. Cut into triangles and serve.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

I love quesadillas. They are so easy to make at home. They are really quick and easy very painless to make.


Ingredients
1 chicken breast (per 2 people)
1 sprinkle mexican oregano
1 sprinkle chili pepper
1 light sprinkle cayenne pepper
1 sprinkle garlic powder"
1 sprinkle black pepper
2 cups monterey jack or queso quesadilla
4 soft taco sized flour tortillas
1 pat of butter


1. Season the chicken breast with all the seasoning.
2. Grill chicken until cooked.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of butter until melted.
4. Add tortilla and sprinkle with cheese
5. Layer the chicken on top
6. When the chicken melts fold over and remove from heat.
7. Repeat until ingredients are gone
8. Cut into triangles and serve.

Ultimate Game Day Nachos

Ingredients
1 bag of tortilla chips
1 lb of monterey jack cheese - shredded
1 cup of salsa
3 cups of pico de gallo
shredded meat of your choice - I used spicy shredded beef

1. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Layer tortilla chips and sprinkle a lot of cheese over the top of the chips.
3. Make sure that the meat is drained of the juices so that the chips don't become soggy. Layer the meat on top of the cheese.
4. Make another layer of chips and cheese on top.
5. Add the rest of meat, sprinkle the cup of salsa around.
6. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted - about 8 - 10 minutes.
7. Add the pico de gallo on top and serve.

Salsa and Cream Cheese Dip

This is probably so old and overdone, but it is so good. There was a point that I had never heard of this.. so maybe there are others like me.

Ingredients

1 - 8oz block of cream cheese - softened
1 - 16 oz container of salsa - any kind the thicker the juice the better

* Cut softened cream cheese in half - lengthwise.
* Place in container
* Pour salsa over cream cheese
* Eat with tortilla chips

Yummy!!

Easy Pico de Gallo

Ingredients
3 tomatoes
1/2 white onion
1 1/2 cups cilantro
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1 jalepeno (optional)

* Chop the tomato, onion, cilantro and garlic
* If using the jalepeno - seed it and finely chop it
* Put into a bowl and stir together
* Add salt and juice of the lemon
* Stir together and enjoy

Black Bean Salsa

I made this for the super bowl. It was really good!

2 - 16 oz cans of black beans
2 - small tomatoes
1 - jalepeno seeded and finely chopped (or more depending on how hot you want it)
1.5 cups fresh cilantro - chopped
juice from 1 lemon or lime
1 teaspoon of salt

*Put black beans into a colander and rinse well under cold water
* Chop tomatoes, jalepeno and cilantro.
* Combine the chopped items with the black beans and stir
* Sprinkle with salt and citrus juice
* Stir well.
* Let salsa sit for about an hour for the flavors to marry.

Spanakopita

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach
2 eggs
1 large onion, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dill
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (200 g) package feta cheese
12 sheets phyllo pastry
1/4 cup melted butter, for brushing pastry

1. Heat oven to 375°.
2. Drain spinach of all liquid.
3. Sauteé onions and garlic in 1/4 cup butter until tender, then add spinach, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Sautee 1-2 more minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine spinach mixture, eggs, dill, lemon juice and crumbled feta.
6. Butter a square or round pan.
7. Place phyllo between a damp (but not wet) towel so it doesn't dry out.
8. Layer 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, brushing each with melted butter.
9. Fill with spinach mixture and fold edges over.
10. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter.
12. Bake 45 minutes or until golden

this was really good! I would next time use another packet of spinach or two. It only filled about 1/2 up the pan I used.

Fried Mozzarella

I was hungry and I didn't feel like making anything big. I was thinking about a caprese salad, but then decided that I wanted something hot too. I considered a can of soup I had in my pantry.. but then I had a great idea. Fried Mozzarella with a green salad.

Its really easy to do...

Ingredients
Mozzarella (the round balls works best)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil

• First set up a breading station.
  From left to right - flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs





• Slice a ball of mozzarella into thick slices
• Take the slices and dredge them through the flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Be sure to make sure they are well coated





• In a frying pan, heat up the 1/4 cup of olive oil on medium heat, you can add more oil depending on your pan size, to get the depth to come up about halfway on the mozzarella slices.
• You can tell if the oil is ready by putting the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it bubbles up around the handle, its ready.
• Put the slices in and let them sit. Wait until you can see the edges are browning up, and then flip them. Try not to move them too much. You don't want the coating to break and the cheese to melt out.





• When the breading is golden brown and the cheese has melted (you can check this by lightly pushing in at the top), remove them from the pan to a plate with paper towels or napkins on it to soak up the excess oil.
• Serve with a side of marinara sauce, or a salad. I almost put the salad on top - that might be really good, salad on top, or maybe some shrimp scampi? or sauteed veggies...

However you serve it, it really should be served hot out of the pan. This way the cheese is still the same melty goodness it was right out of the pan.